The MP3 File Options page appears as the second step of the Export Song process, when you have selected to export an MP3 File in the first step.

It offers a variety of options for audio quality and level control in your exported MP3 file.

MP3 files contain a compressed audio waveform.

Exporting to an MP3 file involves capturing the output of the current Midi device, playing the selected content of the song, then compressing it with a codec to reduce the file size.

A Codec (compressor-decompressor) is a software module that can convert a waveform to compressed data (or vice-versa).  You may have none or several of these currently installed on your system.

Exporting to an MP3 file requires that you have at least one MP3-capable codec installed on your system.

Controls

File Format

Displays the MP3 file format that you will export, including the selected Codec, file type, and sound quality.

You can change the file format by pressing the Select button to open the Select File Format window.

Destination File

The name and location of the file you are exporting is shown here.  Underneath is an estimate of how large the file will be, based on your File Format settings.

Browse

Opens a File Save window, where you can select the name and location of the MP3 file to export.

Sample Period

Audio is captured in chunks at regular time intervals.  This settings specifies how frequently the waveform chunks are captured and stored to the file.

Depending on your computer speed and sound hardware, you may experience performance bottlenecks causing a stuttering sound or missed audio, in which case a remedy may be found by adjusting the sample period.

Audio Levels

Specifies how you want the volume level of the captured audio to be managed.

Optimal - adjusted automatically, so that the highest level in the capture is scaled to 95% of the total headroom.

Manual - adjusted manually by a percentage gain that you enter.  By default, this is the same as the Monitor Gain used for the level meters on the mixer panel.

Audio Gain

Available only if Audio Levels are set to Manual.  Can vary from 1% to 1000% of the actual captured waveform level.  It is common to use a gain greater than 100% to achieve reasonable audio levels.